I posted this on Instagram today, but I wanted to share it here…

Four years ago, I ran my first 5k in the start of my triathlon journey.  I thought it was four years to the day, but it wasn’t.  Pretty close though.

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In that 5k back in 2010, I paced a 12:35 minute mile for 3.1 miles.

And it was hard. And I nearly passed out at the finish.  I tried very, very very hard for that 12:35 pace.  I was proud of my race (still am, actually)… and I was proud that I ran the whole 3.1 miles without stopping.  It was a milestone, for sure.  My race number on that day was 2010, which I considered a great sign–because it was the year that everything had begun to change.

Today, I am 15 days out from my second iron (140.6 mile) distance race, Beach 2 Battleship on October 25.

And this morning, I ran 17 miles.

I ran 17 miles in a little over 3:30… around a 12:35 pace–the pace I ran that first 5k.

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I ran almost the entire 17 miles, with the exception of a stretch around Mile 16.25 when I hunched over into a painful shuffle… I walked for 0.1 of a mile then, and I did take a 0.1 of a mile potty break around Mile 8.  But that was it.  I essentially ran the whole 17.  And I was just as proud of the 17… as I was of my first triathlon-minded 3.1

To me, it’s just a reminder that progress may not always come with crazy speed or fireworks.  If you lean on something long and consistently enough, it will steadily roll into something bigger…and keep going forward.

Today, I am thankful for my not-so-perfect body that allowed me to run 17 miles–perfectly for me.

I don’t really have any specific time or race goals going into this race. But I do know one thing, I am toe-ing this line in far better shape than I was in for Ironman Coeur d’Alene last year.  So the only real comment I can make is:  I am excited to see what the day brings.

I saw Dr. Miracle Man Hands (Dr. Hamid Sadri) today for some ART, and I am glad I did.  I felt better afterwards, but I still can hardly move my legs. Ice bath is in order for tonight.

Tomorrow marks the final, brutal brick workout. 6 hours of love after a 17 mile run today.  Lawdy. This is crazy. But then the taper begins.  Tomorrow will be tough.  I’m not out of the woods yet.

Speaking of not out of the woods… the boy Swim Bike Kid just had a bike crash and knocked half of his front permanent tooth off.  Guess he’s ready for hockey now. All the other hockey kids would be jelly.  Time for the emergency dentist…

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Have a great weekend, friends.

9 Responses

  1. Meredith, you have been SUCH an inspiration in my journey to health, motherhood, and triathlons! For some reason, I didn’t pay attention to the fact that you’re doing the B2B as well! I’m only in for the half (second year in a row), but my training partner and I would love to treat you to breakfast the day after and pick your brain! You down? 🙂

  2. How incredibly inspiring. I ran my first 5k a little over a year ago at the same pace. I’m training for a much slower half and you’ve just given me hope that I might just become stronger and faster. Thank you!

  3. Meredith, you sure made me feel special with this story. I’m training for my first full marathon and my 16- mile pace was the same as your 17-mile pace. Now I know I’m on the right track. Just keep moving forward

  4. Poor buddy! Hope he’s recovering alright.

    As for you – I love it. What a great journey and awesome mindset going into the race. It’s going to be a great day.

  5. Wow, your post made me a bit teary with pride for you! I’m about to head into very first full marathon tomorrow morning and for the first time this week, I actually breathed out and relaxed about tomorrow. It is almost a year ago exactly that I embarked on my first tri (a sprint distance – during which I very nearly drowned, got thrashed by the speedsters as I plodded through the bike leg on my mountain bike and came close to passing out on the 5km run!). But just like you wrote, I have leaned long and hard, and I am amazed at how far I have come in a year. Even though I am absolutely panicking about tomorrow (am I really good enough, strong enough, gutsy enough???). I know without doubt that I am in much better shape than I was at this time last year. You made me realise that I, too, am excited about what the day will bring. So from Melbourne, Australia, I send a huge thank you for your fantastic piece, written just at the right moment.

  6. LOVE reading this! I still run about the same place I always do — whether it’s racing or training. I found your site over a year ago when I was training for my first tri (have done 3 now), but still feel like an epic failure because of my run pace. Makes me so happy to see your success at your consistent 12.35 pace! Going to stop beating myself up 🙂

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